Bringing To Life Artworks That Can’t Be Created Anywhere Else, This Marseille Glassworks Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary

A little-known gem, the CIRVA international center of research on glass and plastic arts founded in 1983 is one of the oldest places that welcomes artists in residence in the Provence region of southern France to create works of art that couldn’t have come to life anywhere else. Among the most singular and atypical, several characteristics make up the originality of this Marseille-based art center. A place for research, experimentation and creation dedicated to a single material – glass – it houses a fantastic collection of works that speak of the process of their development, including prototypes, drawings and archives, as well as the history of the CIRVA, which are shown in museums and art spaces in France and abroad. Celebrating its four decades of existence this year, the CIRVA has hosted hundreds of artists, designers and architects such as Anish Kapoor, Pierre Soulages, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Robert Morris, Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec and Jasper Morrison to collaborate with its in-house team of master glass artisans. Exchanges develop over time between artist and craftsman, and the initial gestures are the starting point of a journey whose outcome is unknown. The atelier’s glassmaking quartet of Valérie Olléon, Cyrille Rocherieux, Fernando Torre and David Veis share with me the intricacies of working with glass.

How would you describe glass and what are some of the preconceived notions surrounding this material that you’re trying to dispel?

Glass is often considered to be unapproachable. We help artists and designers to get an understanding of the material through direct experience over a long period of time. However, we are not trying to dispel any preconceived idea – we just work with glass.

Tell me about the CIRVA workshop, the different crafts carried out there and how many pieces you produce on average per year.

Between the four of us, we cover mostly traditional glassmaking techniques: glassblowing, casting, fusing, slumping, lamp work, sand casting, cold working, etc. However, we sometimes invent new processes in collaboration with artists and designers. The CIRVA is not a production center; it is free from any expectations of results. The number of pieces depends on the projects.

What is the greatest challenge of the art of glass-making?

Accepting that failure is part of learning.

How do you take advantage of technology to renew the craftsman’s tradition?

As far as casting is concerned, advancements in kiln technology allows easier and more accurate temperature control, which facilitates large-scale projects. Digital printing is also making its way into the studio and allows for the creation of new forms in casting. Technological advances have a downside, too: electrical furnaces are more complex than traditional Venetian ones, and the problems that occur occasionally can’t be handled by the glassmakers themselves. We hope that one day we will have solar-powered furnaces!

Which has been the most ambitious collaboration where the artist, designer or architect disregarded the constraints of glass to concentrate on the achievement of the artistic project rather than ease of production?

We are always looking for constraints. The more artists ask for something we don’t usually do, the closer we are to our mission. For instance, the CIRVA has created new techniques, such as the “mistral” developed with Gaetano Pesce. This involves projecting molten glass with a specially-adapted airbrush! As far as glass is concerned, time is often a very important factor. Some projects need a very long time to come to fruition, and since studio time costs are prohibitively expensive, these projects would never see the light of day anywhere else. In this category, combining time and technical precision, we can include Berdaguer & Péjus’ Jardin d’Addiction and the Sã cast glass Lego pieces by Lieven de Boeck.

What other interesting projects has the CIRVA worked on?

We worked with Christian Sebille, a contemporary music composer who uses glass to create soundscapes. At the beginning, he had no visual concerns at all, being solely interested in the sound potential of pieces. However, through the environment at the CIRVA, he became attuned to the esthetic qualities of the work as well. We also worked with filmmaker Jorge Leon. He’s started work on a film at the CIRVA. The workshop becomes a stage, whilst also playing a role in the production of the film’s props. We created a cast after Lucy’s body in collaboration with the CNRS.

How do you envision the future of the art of glassmaking? How do you ensure the transmission of your know-how, and is there a thriving new generation of glass workers?

The economy of glass is very fragile: whilst glassmaking requires many years of training, it sadly doesn’t guarantee a stable income. It’s not exactly a profit-making activity! Standardization means it’s becoming ever harder for craftsmen to compete with the industry. This of course has consequences on the motivation of potential young glassmakers. But there are still young people out there eager to learn the craft. We welcome young interns at the CIRVA.